The Matrix: Resurrection
by eveningspirit1
Summary: Post “Revolutions”. Trinity is alive, in the Machine City, with unconscious Neo by her side. She doesn’t know what happened to him, or what is happening in Zion, while she struggles to regain enough strength to return home.
1. The Awakening

SUMMARY: Post "Revolutions". Trinity is alive, in the Machine City, with unconscious Neo by her side. She doesn't know what happened to him, or what is happening in Zion, while she struggles to regain enough strength to return home.

DISCLAIMER: Matrix Characters and the Universe are not mine.

>>

-YANNIK-

THE MATRIX: RESURRECTION

THE AWAKENING

>>

Light. White, bright, not too dazzling, rather soft. Even pleasant.

And warm. Not warm light, just warmth overall. Nice, fresh air. Silence. Not dull, scary silence. Just... stillness. Pure. Perfect.

No sense of place or time. No sense of self. Shouldn't that be scary? It is. Just a little. But maybe it would be enough to open one's eyes?

White squares. Something white and flat divided in off-white squares. Gridded. Yeah, gridded.

Is that a wall? Unlikely. More like a ceiling. Yes it's the ceiling. And one is... lying, and looking at the ceiling. One? Not The One for sure – memories returned. Not The One.

Where is The One?

Trinity sat upright, and dismissed slight dizziness. It vanished. She looked around. The ceiling was gridded alright. But the walls weren't. They were simply white, and empty. She was sitting on something that resembled hospital bed. She looked behind her back, and noticed the door in the corner of the room, but right then she noticed something far more important.

A bed.

Similar to her own.

And a figure lying flat on it, dressed in black.

"Neo" she whispered.

And she got up, run, flung herself upon him.

"Neo!" she cried, but he did not move.

She stroke his beloved face, his dark hair, dark eyebrows, closed eyelids. Nose, lips, chin...

"Neo..."

"Welcome" a gentle voice startled Trinity.

She swirled around and noticed the nurse standing before her, near the door. What was that? Where were they?

The woman smiled.

"My name is Phoebe and I'm here to answer your questions."

Trinity blinked. Twice. Not understanding.

"Do you have questions?" Phoebe repeated.

>>

t.b.c.

A/N: Yes, shinny. I gave it more thought than it deserved, and since it really doesn't matter I changed the name, just not to cause any more confusion. But the names are really… well… names. There are many weirder names than Febe :).

Nevermind.

-yannik-


	2. Many Questions

DISCLAIMER: The Matrix Characters and the Universe are not mine.

>>

MATRIX 4: RESURRECTION - by -yannik-

MANY QUESTIONS

>>

Did she have questions? Of course she did! Lots of them. So many, she couldn't decide which to ask first. Which was the most important.

She looked around.

"Where are we?"

"This is the virtual reality in which your mind may abide until your body is healed" Phoebe smiled.

"My body..." Trinity looked down, at her stomach. Touched it involuntary. "I was hurt..." she remembered.

"Yes you were. Your body sustained much damage..." the nurse hesitated, then corrected herself. "Many wounds. We are healing it."

This statement made it obvious for Trinity, that Phoebe was not human. She couldn't decide whether she was frightened by that, or not. Then her sight once more caught the still figure of Neo.

"And him?" she whispered not daring to disturb his peaceful sleep, perhaps afraid she might break him.

Phoebe remained silent for a few, evenly counted seconds. With a purposeful move she touched his wrist. There wasn't anything unnecessary in her actions. Then she spoke.

"We are trying to cure his mind, but this is more difficult."

"His mind? What happened?"

"He fought with a virus program called Smith, and it caused much... how would you call it? Post traumatic stress, and retreat. We cannot reach him."

Trinity tried to grasp all the information, but it was tough. It didn't sit well with so many gaps in her memory. What were actual memories? What was her imagination, or…

"When would he wake up? Would he?..." she finally asked, surprised she spoke the questions aloud.

"We don't know that" Phoebe answered courteously. "But we'll keep on trying. We are patient."

Trinity waited a moment. Nurse's calmness, niceness was disturbing in a strange way. It was obvious that she honestly tried to be as reassuring to the patient – that Trinity now was – as possible. And with all the knowledge Phoebe must have had concerning humans, all her actions were well justified. But Trinity knew better. She knew this was a program, this was a VR, this was all a lie.

"Patient" she repeated, looking the fake woman straight into her fake blue eyes, expressing sincere sensitivity. "You can afford it, can't you? You're machines? Programs?"

"We are. I am a program, and machines are working in the real world, trying to heal you both."

In the real world. Her body was somewhere in the real world. She longed for it.

"Could I..." she hesitated, as sudden emotion choked her. "Get out there? Go to the real world?"

"Preferably not now" Phoebe answered with her unwavering polite smile. "Your body might cause you much pain. As soon as you get better, you might be in the real world whenever you want to."

"And then... could I go back to Zion?"

"Certainly – if you choose to."

Zion. Morpheus. Home. Her home was with Neo. Phoebe said they were patient, but her… How long would she have to wait for him?

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Phoebe asked, after waiting appropriately long moment.

Oh, yes. She wanted to know so much! So much…

"Could I stay alone?..." she asked instead. "With him." She never let go of the sight of his face. So calm.

"Of course" Phoebe smiled. "If you need anything from me, just call."

She turned around and left. If Trinity had any doubts whatsoever, about this woman… this representation of a woman… Now she was sure. There weren't slightest glimpse of real human emotions in Phoebe. No compassion. It was just a program that tried to pretend!

Tried. This program tried.

Trinity gasped in bare surprise. Why? Why would she try? What did they want? Why would they try to make her feel comfortable?

She vaguely remembered that she and Neo went to Zion to end the war. He had an idea how to do this, but he didn't tell. Did that really happen? She also remembered seeing the sun. She remembered him hurt so badly. His eyes… They seemed undamaged, but then – this wasn't true. She stroked his skin with the tips of her fingers, tears welling. She wouldn't cry! – she wiped her face quickly.

Remember… What else did she remember?…

She remembered dying!

She not only was hurt, she was dying. As the memory of the pain, of the fear and emptiness engulfed her, she collapsed to the floor, crying and clutching her virtual stomach. And sobbing like she'd been a long, long time ago, back in the Matrix, when she'd still thought it had been real.

When she was a little child.

>>

The time was passing. Slowly. The pains coming through from the real world – as Phoebe explained the phenomenon – weren't disturbing Trinity anymore. It was hard to tell whether days here were twenty four hours long, but Trinity had to assume, that the Machines wanted to make her environment as realistic as possible. And if the length of the day was lifelike, then she had spent over three weeks in this room.

She quickly understood, she was not in the Matrix, and Phoebe confirmed. They had never had humans in Zero One before, and they created this room in a rush. That's why it was so uncongenial.

Trinity needed to make it different, not knowing how long she would reside here. And not even knowing how to create a congenial environment. So she asked for a window first. And thus she had to choose the view outside of it. She asked for green, blossoming hills, with enchanting sunsets, and downings.

Later on she furnished the room. She wanted the carpet, and there it was – soft, fury, warm. And pink. With purple irregular insertions. Where it didn't cover the floor, wooden battens were visible.

She wanted her bed not to be so hospital-like, so it was changed into a wooden one with carved head, with large soft pillow, feather quilt, and a soft blanket.

She was bored, so she asked for… a library, and a rocking chair beside it. And a shaded lamp, that gave soft, warm light. Similar one was hanging form the smooth ceiling, cozying to room. Even the walls had this soft, creamy color now. In the library there were books raging from Jack London's to Joice Carol Oates'. Were these book really written by humans in the ancient times, before the Machines took over? They must have been. There were emotions in them, and reading made Trinity calmer, more at peace with herself and the situation, than ever before.

She closed the book, and looked over at the only thing in the room that wasn't changed. Neo's bed. And he himself. The Machines apparently expected him to wake up quickly. Trinity was unconscious for a couple of days after all. But he slept, and slept… and slept…

Trinity rose, and neared him. She sat beside his bed, and took his hand into hers like so many times before. Countless times. She stroke a lone strand of hair off of his face. Neo.

"Neo" she whispered, hoping he would finally hear her. But there was no response. None at all, like so many times before. Countless times. "You have to wake up. Please, wake up finally. I can't do that anymore. I can't sit here!… Look at me!" She looked. Long, ethereal dress of salmon color. Long dark braid. This wasn't her! "What am I doing?"

What was she doing indeed? She looked at the room again, as if seeing it for the first time. It was changing little by little, and she didn't realize when it became… That! What would Neo think of her if he saw it?

Oh, she was lonely. She needed something, that would make her feel at home, and she thought of this childhood dream. This was her childhood dream, when her own childhood became unbearable. A room with hills overview, and lots of books. With old style lamp, rocking chair, quilted bed. But then she grew up, and once she started searching for the Truth her dreams changed. And once she found the Truth, it turned out to be as different from her long forgotten dreams, as it was ever possible.

But still, once she was left alone and scared, she went straight back to the dream imprinted in her subconsciousness. It made her feel safe. But it just wasn't her.

"Neo." She turned to him again. Looked at his beloved face for a long, long time. "Neo, you have to wake up. We have to go back to Zion. Who knows what they are thinking about us. It's been so long since the war ended. We must go back, and help them to rebuild human civilization. We can't keep sitting here like this, and… and… Just wake up. I love you." She leaned and kissed him lightly on his unmoving lips.

Unmoving, but warm. He was alive.

She got up, and went back to her rocking hair. As she sat down, and held her head in her hands, she whispered something that surprised even her:

"I'm wasting my time here."

>>

She had no idea how long she sat there, trying to comprehend this last statement. Phoebe's arrival woke her up.

The nurse rarely came here uninvited, so Trinity was a bit startled.

"We assume your body is healed enough for you to get out to the real world" the program stated without a welcome, and without a smile.

"That's good" Trinity answered, not really listening, or understanding.

"You should go out and start some muscle training, before you leave for Zion."

Trinity blinked.

"Leave for Zion?" she was confused. Suddenly elated, and reluctant at the same time. Leave for Zion. But… "What about..." her gaze wandered off to Neo, who still didn't wake up.

Phoebe didn't follow her train of thoughts.

"You must prepare yourself" she explained coldly. "You've spent here a few weeks, and your body is weak. You must strengthen your muscles. Zero-One is not prepared as human habitation, but we made what we thought necessary for you to exercise. We'll stay in touch with you through the console, where your body is resting now. We expect you to rest, and spend nights here, but you may choose otherways."

With that Phoebe, the room, Neo, his bed… it all disappeared…

>>

…and Trinity found herself lying on a rough metal floor, under a mess of multisized pipes, bars, wands, sticks. The familiar dizziness told her that jack connecting her with the VR had just unplugged itself. Or her, whatever the perspective was.

She took her time, before she decided she could get up. Red and golden lights were flashing all around, she listened carefully to some unfamiliar noises. Finally she sat up, and felt dizzy again. Oh, she was weak! Her abdomen was hurting, but wounds were covered with relatively clean sheets of some material. She stank with sweat, old blood, suppur, and some machine made medicaments.

When vertigo passed, she carefully looked around.

And her heart broke into pieces.

Forgetting about all the pain she jumped up, nearly collapsed when another wave of weakness hit her, but defeated it with all her might, and strode to his side.

"Neo…" she whispered with despair.

Neo. He was lying there on a similar rough metal bed, made partly of flexible pipes and tubes. He smelled as foully as she did. His cloths were shabby and filthy. And his face…

…his eyes…

…were still covered with the bandage Trinity had made back then… when Smith burned him. His eyes were not healed. His eyes were not even taken care of! They did nothing!

"You shitless, fricked up!…" Trinity wanted to curse and swear, but she choke. She couldn't find words.

She wanted to hold him, to tell him everything would be alright, nonetheless. But he wouldn't hear her.

So she could only lash out on the one person she could hold responsible.

She returned to Phoebe.

>>

"You're back quickly."

Trinity nearly jumped at the woman.

"You said you cured him! His body. But he's still blind!"

"I didn't say that" Phoebe answered patiently. "We are searching for a cure for that as well, but trying to call him out of coma has higher priority for us. We were unable to cure his eyes. We know little about your human fragile bodies. It was hard enough for us to heal you, but we found some data in the Matrix. We cannot find any advice about Neo however – both his eyes and his mind."

Phoebe's composure was like a cold water for Trinity. Her rage was gone. Only dull emptiness remained.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Keep on searching."

"For how long?"

"As long as it takes."

Emptiness. As long as it takes. How long would it take?

"You're healed" Phoebe repeated. "And as I said before - you need to exercise. The _Logos _is repaired also, and ready to take you to Zion."

"Without Neo?"

"We need you to go to Zion, and then enter the Matrix to tell us what is happening there."

Trinity looked into the continually calm blue eyes of Phoebe. She tried to comprehend what the latter just said. There was something not right with this request.

"You mean you don't know?" she gasped.

"Nobody from Zion entered the Matrix since the end of the war" Phoebe explained. "We need to know why."

"Because you killed them all!" It was so obvious for Trinity. What was that? Was the war over or not? Or was it over too late? What did Neo do? She knew only what Phoebe told her, but how could she be sure the foul program wasn't lying? The rage was right back there, and Trinity clenched her fists, set her teeth.

But Phoebe's features were as always – concealed.

"No we didn't" the program explained without anger or hurt. "Most survived. Now, do you have any other questions, or may I release you into the real world?"

Trinity boiled inside, but – truth be told – she was helpless. She wanted… she only wanted…

"Change this…" she said waving her hand, showing the surroundings, but even before she finished the sentence, Phoebe – without snapping her fingers, or any other gesture that would justify the magicality of all this – changed the room into this white unpleasant place once more. With gridded ceiling, and white ceramic cold floor. Without a single window.

"Anything else?"

"It seems I have no choice."

"Not anymore."

>>

She exercised. She run, she did push-ups, knee bendings, bends of all kind. Slowly, easily at first, but her well trained body was regaining it's strength at a quick rate. The Machines really built something, that could – with a little bit of generosity – resemble a gym.

Days were passing again, faster now, that she was occupied. And it was obvious that the Machines weren't going to let her stay here much longer.

But Neo still didn't wake up.

She didn't spend the nights in the virtual world. She lay on the bumpy bed, and fell asleep before her head touched the rags that were her pillow. Did she prefer those rags, over the soft, feather cushion she created back there? – she wondered. The answer was simple – yes, she did. Because, even though her senses didn't feel the difference, this was real, and that was not.

She preferred staying here for one more reason – Neo. This was the real Neo, and throughout those weeks she spent in there with his virtual representation, she had no idea of his true condition. Back there he was simply sleeping, but here she saw better. This was the real him, and she needed to remember that.

So often she stood beside him, when she needed some rest after the exercises, or when some small machine brought her the foul gruel, so much like the one they ate back in Zion. She stood beside his bed, and just watched his peaceful face. No, not face. Lips, cheeks, nose… it wasn't face. It wasn't whole. And although she assumed Phoebe was right, and whatever became of his eyes meant nothing as long as he was unconscious, this sight pained her the most. Because it demonstrated how badly injured he was.

So often she wanted to touch him, hold him, but she was scared. She didn't want to learn how adequately the word "lifeless" described him. How cold his skin might be. If there was any heartbeat. She wasn't sure if he was breathing. His chest seemed to move, but it was slow, shallow. Some machine invention rested beside his lips and nose, maybe it gave him oxygen? – so she couldn't even feel for the currents of inhaled and exhaled air. Besides she didn't want to. What if there weren't any?

She was irrational!

She was lonely for too long.

But she didn't want to leave. Without him.

It took her a few days, before she finally allowed her fingers to rest upon his skin. His warm skin, on this mysterious spot, between his neck and his shoulder. Where he loved to be kissed. She felt her body getting stronger with each passing hour, and she knew the Machines wouldn't let her stay, if she was ready to go. Go in search of the unknown. She dismissed the disturbing thought. She stroked his neck, his cheek, and finally, overcoming her fears and prejudices, leaned down to lightly kiss him.

"Neo. You have to wake up" she pleaded. "We don't have much time left."

And this time Neo responded.

>>

t.b.c.

A/N: Please, if you're more familiar with Matrix cannon – and I'm sure many of you are – tell me if I'm making any mistakes in naming things and procedures. I promise to make changes even in this chapter, and be as cannon instructs in the next ones for sure. You know – the plug in thingie may be wrongly described in this chapter… Thanks for any help.

-yannik-


	3. Truth Or Dare

DISCLAIMER: The Matrix Characters and the Universe are not mine.

>>

MATRIX 4: RESURRECTION by -yannik-

TRUTH OR DARE

>>

This time Neo responded.

She held her breath, as she felt his lips part slightly. She wasn't sure – did he really move? Or did she just imagine that.

But right then she realized that Machines wanted her to get back into VR, so something must have happened. She plugged in…

… and saw Neo sitting on his bed.

Not paying attention to Phoebe whatsoever, she run to Neo, and clung to him like a grapevine. He sat motionless for a second, and then he let his arms engulf her, clutching her ever harder, and he whispered her name "Trin" with such a shuddered voice, she got frightened something bad happened. They parted, and she looked deep into his eyes.

"He just woke up" Phoebe interrupted, but they paid no notice. "I thought you wanted to know that."

"You're alive" Neo whispered, holding her face in his palms.

All she was able to do was nod, voice stuck in her throat. Oh, there was time for explanation, for everything… later. Now she just wanted to feel his presence.

"You touched him in the real world, didn't you?" Phoebe continued not abashed. "Human touch – that was the key."

Finally she reached her goal – they noticed her. Or at least Neo did, and he responded – with a question:

"We're in the matrix now, aren't we?"

"Not in _the_ _matrix_, but in similar program. Yes."

"And our bodies?…" his gaze went to Trinity for a second, but he was most definitely asking Phoebe. "We're somewhere in the machine city?"

"That's right."

"And, uh…" he hesitated, looked down. And when he rose his sight again and continued, Trinity could swear this was not what he initially wanted to ask about. "What about the war? Smith?"

"The war is over" Phoebe answered with a tone as calm, as only machine could master. "He's been deleted."

"Zion?" All the right questions. As Phoebe started answering, Trinity couldn't help to think, that the program-woman was much more satisfied with this one conversation with Neo, than whole weeks with her. Which wasn't bad after all.

"We don't know what's been happening in Zion ever since the war ended" Phoebe explained. "And that is part of the problem. We wanted to release some of your people from the matrix – those who wanted that. But we cannot, since nobody from Zion entered the matrix since the end of the war. That's why we want you to go back to Zion, and find out what's happening there. Then you must enter the matrix and inform us."

"We can leave?"

"Yes. Your hovercraft is repaired, and loaded. All you need to do is improve your physical strength. It shouldn't take more than a few days. You must spend more time in the real world however."

Neo gazed back to Trinity

"She's been badly hurt" he said under his breath.

"She's okay now. We healed her."

He just kept looking, as though expecting something from her. And Trinity knew just what he wanted to hear. But she couldn't make herself say that. Instead she just looked back at him, without a smile, without any emotional response marking her features.

"That's… " Neo breathed. "That's great."

And then he turned to Phoebe again, trying to delay the inevitable.

"What are you going to do about all those people still plugged into the matrix?" he asked.

"We intend to set some of them free – those who want that" she explained, her calmness only slightly altered. "And we are trying to find another energy source now. It's a complex case, but we are patient."

"Good."

There wasn't anything more to say, or to ask. Phoebe eyed them both cautiously, before repeating her request:

"You should wake up in the real now."

"Wait!" Neo tried nonetheless. At least he could be prepared. "What about my wounds?" he asked, struggling to sound steady.

"You mean your eyes?" Phoebe aimed straight to point, with complete lack of compassion. No human emotions. "I'm sorry. We were unable to find any solution about that."

"Okay…" Neo sighed. "Let's wake up then."

>>

Neo could see. He could see all the wonders of the machine city, all the life pulsing there in golden, shiny currents. But he couldn't see Trinity any longer, and that was the only sight he was craving for right now. There was only this vague shape of a human body, a shade against surrounding brightness.

"I'm so glad you're back. I was scared I'd have to go to Zion alone…" He heard her voice. He saw the shade growing bigger. And then he felt her arms around him.

This was how it was supposed to be now?

>>

It was only few days, but Neo had to admit his strength had returned. They sat in this white, bright room again, after Phoebe informed them about all the actions they were supposed to undertake, in order to restore communication between Zion and the machines. They needed communication to be restored. And Neo understood it was important, but… He didn't want to go back there. He disliked weird visions the real world offered him now, and used any opportunity to escape into this virtual environment. Trinity was opposing at first, but eventually she joined him, and they were both spending their resting hours in a clean room, where he could absorb the view of her face, of her body sleeping next to him.

He needed to see her.

And not just her…

And that was soon to be taken away from him.

"It's time" Phoebe announced.

"All right then." Trinity was more than ready to leave the Machine City behind. "Let's go!"

"I don't know" Neo said, startling even himself. He never thought he'd be actually able to say that.

Both Trinity and Phoebe looked at him – Trinity surprised, even angry a little, Phoebe only slightly amused. And they were both waiting for an explanation.

"I don't want to go" Neo started explaining. "I'm not ready. Phoebe, we'll need some more time before we go. Trin, I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to go back…" he wanted to apologize, but Phoebe interrupted him.

"And so she will. If you're not ready to go, you may stay, but one of you must go."

>>

t.b.c.

Please, let me know what you think.


	4. Only With You

DISCLAIMER: _The Matrix _Characters and the Universe are not mine.

NOTE: Sorry it took so long. I was sure I did publish this chapter a few weeks ago, and when I sat to write the next one today – there it was. So. Here you go. Enjoy!

>>

MATRIX 4: RESURRECTION by -yannik-

Chapter Four – ONLY WITH YOU

>>

They both looked at Phoebe, startled with her words, not comprehending them fully.

Trinity was the first to snap out of the initial shock. "Can we talk alone?" she asked.

"Of course" the program smiled, and gently left the room.

"I rather thought about talking in the real world!" Trinity screamed at the closed door. She run there, though she knew this was to no avail – she tried to open them many times before, but they weren't programmed to respond to a human mind.

"No." She was startled by a soft voice from behind her back. Neo was looking straight at her. "I don't want to talk in the real world" he whispered, looking so vulnerable.

She was shocked by this. "But…" she couldn't find words.

"I want to see you."

That left her speechless for a moment, a large lump forming in her throat.

"They can hear us" she stammered finally. "In here."

"No they can't. They shot us off. Trust me."

She looked at him. Really looked, really long. And then she came closer. She wanted to hold him, but something kept her at arm's length. Some anger, disappointment. "Okay then" she started. "What did you mean? We must go back! I want to go back, I don't want to stay in this… V.R. thing!" She let her eagerness go loose, but then held it back in check. And then she added one more argument, in a child-like pleading voice. "And I miss Morpheus, and Zion, and everything."

"Then go" Neo whispered, and caught her off guard again.

"Alone?"

"You heard her. One of us has to go anyway."

"She can't force me!

"Trin…"

They both stopped. They both gazed intently into each other's eyes, and it was like electricity. Like silent communication. Like telepathy.

But still she spoke her mind. "I'm not going anywhere without you. I'm just not. Forget it. I want to go back, you know it. But if you don't want it, then we'll just stay. What can they do?"

"Trinity…"

"Don't. Think about it. We'll do it your way. So it's your call." She gave him one last stern look and called the machines at the top of her lungs. "I want to get out!"

"They can't hear you" Neo reminded. "I told you – they shot us off."

Trinity gritted her teeth and walked to the door purposefully. She knocked them hard. At first sight of Phoebe, she spat: "Let me out."

"All right." Trinity disappeared, before Phoebe even finished speaking. Then the program looked at Neo. "What decision have you made?" she asked in a serious tone.

Neo took a deep breath before he answered. He wasn't sure how she would take it. "We're not going."

She cocked her head to the side. "That's unacceptable" she replied simply.

"I don't want to" Neo started explaining. He hoped that if he told her how he felt, then maybe she'd understand. "I'm not ready… I won't be able to see in Zion, and… That would make me useless. I don't want that." He watched her indifferent features, and he knew there was no compassion in these un-human minds. He finished his statement nonetheless. "Trinity says that she wouldn't leave without me."

"Then you must convince her" Phoebe answered coldly. "Or you must go together. Either - it's irrelevant. We need to know what is happening in Zion. And you're the ones who will tell us."

"What for?" Neo shrugged. "Zion was never under your control, and it had never bothered you."

"That's not entirely true. We always had some data, and that was enough for time being. But this time we need the exact data. We need to know _exactly _what is going on. So you must go there and then come into the matrix and tell us.

"I'm sorry." He threw his hands in a desperate gesture. "I don't know how I can convince Trinity to leave. She's stubborn and…"

"Find the way" Phoebe cut in. "I'll send you to the real world now, so you can talk to her. As soon as the _Logos_ leaves – you may come back into the V.R."

>>

As her voice faded, Neo found himself in darkness once more. In darkness full of dizzying golden currents. "Trin?" He held his breath, trying to hear her before she spoke. He rose hesitantly, trying not to stumble.

She did not approach him, did not hold his hand to steady him. "I'm here." She stood in the far corner of the place.

He had to tell her to go.

He wanted her to stay, he wanted her with him, but not like this. Not being able to see her. Not being able to see anything. Not being able to fight, to help rebuild Zion, to do anything at all. He didn't want to go back, he had nothing to go back to.

She – on the other hand – did.

They had to part. He had to go back to the V.R. as Phoebe promised him, and she had to leave for Zion.

This was going to be one of the hardest things he did. The hardest maybe. His heart was breaking knowing that they may never get together again, after he had been certain he already had lost her – to get her back once more. When he was fighting Smith, he had nothing to lose; he had everything in front of him now, and he was about to send it away all by himself.

"You must go" he stammered through clenched teeth.

If she could only know what she would give him by going away! The possibility to see… because V.R. was the only chance for him to see now…

"Not without you" she whispered pleadingly.

He heard her voice crack, he heard tears, pain, sorrow. He couldn't let her suffer so! He couldn't let himself suffer. He couldn't let them be apart, even if it meant living in darkness.

He couldn't see her face. Her eyes, ready to answer "if that's what you want – I'll go". Because she was about to say it out loud, but her face spoke it first. Only he could not see it.

So he was the one to speak first. "Alright then. Let's go."

>>

t.b.c.


End file.
